Tiger and Nature Photography Workshop November 2009

Mr.Kalyan Verma Famous wildlife photographer is organizing a 4 DAYS workshop on Wildlife Photography at The Celebration Van Vilas (Luxury Wildlife Resort) of Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, from 14th to 17th Nov 2009 at Kanha and 17^th to 20^th Nov 2009 Bandhavgarh.

Kanha National Park is spread into 1945 sq km, Kanha support one of the largest populations of the tigers in the country and some of the other larger animal species found in the park are sloth bear, leopard, spotted dear, wild boar, jungle cat, Dholes (Wild Dogs), Gaur (Bison) and a variety of monkeys like Macaque, Langurs etc.

The only National Park in the world to spot Hard Ground Barasingha (Swamp Deer) in wild.

Bandavgarh National Park is having highest density of Tigers in the world. Bandhavgarh National Park is not only famous for tigers it is also famous for its historic (oldest fort) and landscape.

Kanha and Bandhavgarh supports Over 200 spices of birds have been spotted in the park.

This particular workshop will provide immense opportunity to the participants to enjoy nature in its epicenter and splendid opportunity of wildlife and nature photography.

The participants are requested to bring their equipments for the same including camera body, lenses, tripods and enough batteries and storage devices.

The following is the schedule of the tour.

14.11.2009 – Arrive at The Celebration Van Vilas, Kanha National Park by 2:00 PM followed by Lunch.

At 4:00PM Introduction session will be organized among Participants and Mr.Kalyan Verma, later followed by brief description on Kanha National Park.

Dinner at 8:00 PM

15.11.2009 – 5:00 AM wake up call followed by Tea at Restaurant, leave for Morning game drive inside the Kanha Tiger Reserve, breakfast inside the core forest of Kanha.

At 12:00 PM photography seminar will be organizes, followed by lecture by Mr.Kalyan Verma.

Lunch at 1:30PM

At 2:30 PM leave for evening game drive

Dinner at 8:00 PM

16.11.2009 – 5:00 AM wake up call followed by Tea at Restaurant, leave for Morning game drive inside the Kanha Tiger Reserve, breakfast inside the core forest of Kanha.

At 12:00 PM photography seminar will be organizes, followed by lecture by Mr.Kalyan Verma.

Lunch at 1:30PM

At 2:30 PM leave for evening game drive

At 7:00PM lecture by Mr.Shivaji Chavan Sr. Landscape Coordinator of WWF

Dinner at 8:00 PM

17-11-2009 – 5:00 AM wake up call followed by Tea at Restaurant, leave for Morning game drive inside the Kanha Tiger Reserve

After Lunch Leave Kanha For Bandhavgarh National Park (5 hours Drive) Return back

Arrive at The Celebration Van Vilas, Bandhvagrah National Park

At 5:00PM Introduction session will be organized among Participants and Mr.Kalyan Verma, later followed by brief description on Bandhavgarh National Park.

Dinner at 8:00 PM

18.11.2009 – 5:00 AM wake up call followed by Tea at Restaurant, leave for Morning game drive inside the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, breakfast inside the core forest of Bandhavgarh

At 12:00 PM photography seminar will be organizes, followed by lecture by Mr.Kalyan Verma.

Lunch at 1:30PM

At 2:30 PM leave for evening game drive

Dinner at 8:00 PM

19.11.2009 – 5:00 AM wake up call followed by Tea at Restaurant, leave for Morning game drive inside the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, breakfast inside the core forest of Bandhavgarh

At 12:00 PM photography seminar will be organizes, followed by lecture by Mr.Kalyan Verma.

Lunch at 1:30PM

At 2:30 PM leave for evening game drive

Dinner at 8:00 PM

20.11.2009 – 5:00 AM wake up call followed by Tea at Restaurant, leave for Morning game drive inside the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, breakfast inside the core forest of Bandhavgarh.

Back to the resort and after lunch free for onward journeys.

Cost:

The cost of all-inclusive safari either at Kanha or Bandhavgarh is Rs 14,800 per person (but not inclusive of travel till the National Parks). The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography and participating in the safari, or not.

If you choose to participate in both the safaris together, the all-inclusive trip (including drop between Kanha and Bandhavgarh) will cost Rs 27,800

Accommodation is two persons to a room. If you wish to have a private room (single occupancy) there will be a supplementary charge of Rs 3000

Top Five Reasons Why You Must Act to Save the Tiger

1. Tiger Supports Livelihood

Tourism is the world’s biggest industry. On the ecotour front, the tiger is a star attraction for not just the Indian tourists but also for the people coming from other countries. There are foriegners who come to India only to have a glimpse of the tiger and then there are others who return more than once for another such opportunity.

The look in the eyes of a canter that has just come out of a National Park after sighting a tiger is very different from the look and feel of a canter that could not sight any. This eventually impacts the tourist influx thus impacting everyone from the tour companies to the local tour guides. A healthy tiger population thus supports livelihoods as well.

2. Tiger Protects Genetic Diversity

Tiger is an umbrella species. It’s conservation automatically ensures the conversation of a large number of flora and fauna and entire ecosystems. Thus, a properly planned tiger conservation programme is actually a programme to protect and save large number of species.

However, a dwindeling tiger population and news of declining number of tigers only implies an immediate threat to what is remaining of our natural ecosystems. A healthy tiger population thus also protects all that remains of our natural ecosystems.

3. Tiger brings Rain

A tiger is a both a guardian and an indicator of a healthy forests. A healthy forests. Few understand that a live bird or insect is far more important to the economy than a dead one. A live tiger brings rain – a dead one brings nothing but devastation.

4. Tigers Prevent Climate Change

A healthy tiger population lives in large forests - which are nothing but the natural sinks of Carbon. The more tigers we can save, the more healthier reserves we have, larger is our national carbon sink. A tiger should therefore be entitled to carbon credits in the form of protection.

And last, but never the least…

5. Tiger is a symbol of our National Pride

This is what India.gov.in has to say about our National Animal:

The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Courtesy:- Delhi Green

Tiger Tourism in India

There is a movement a foot in INDIA to severely limit and even ban tourism in the core area of tiger reserves. "Tourists are to be banned from the heartlands of the 37 national tiger reserves in India amid fears that their presence is hastening the demise of an increasingly endangered species," quoted a recent news story. "Tourism creates a disturbance through vehicles, noise pollution, garbage and the need to provide facilities," said the government-run National Tiger Conservation Authority, alarmed that the tiger population has plummeted from 3642 in 2002 to just 1411 last year.

There is no doubt that there needs to be a plan that will make tiger conservation and tiger tourism complementary and sustainable. And there is no doubt that some tourist zones are overcrowded at times and greater discipline is needed to control the drivers and guides who become bug-eyed steroidal cowboys when a tiger is sighted. But to imply that tourism has caused the plummet in tiger numbers is misleading and unfair.

•The tourism industry provides jobs and income to countless individuals who might otherwise be tempted to seek money from other sources. The hotel and lodge industry has an immense financial stake in the survival of the tiger. The millions of dollars invested in the lodges surrounding Ranthambhore, Kanha, and Bandhavgarh would dry up overnight if there were no tigers.

•The two tiger reserves in India that have lost every single tiger, Sariska and Panna, had minimum tourism. Bandhavgarh, on the other hand, possibly the most tourist-intense tiger park, has its tiger population flourishing in the core tourist area.

•Vehicles driving around with tourists are, in effect, anti-poaching patrols, often in the notable absence of official patrolling. Word of mouth among drivers and guides is an excellent source of keeping tabs on where the tigers are and where they are not.

•Tourism could and should be used in support of tiger conservation. The Mountain Travel Sobek Save The Tiger trip I lead has taken 146 people into tiger country and generated a significant amount of money which has been put back into the field in India and Nepal for tiger protection programs.

•Many people who have seen a tiger in the wild have become fierce tiger advocates and continue to support tiger conservation efforts.

•Tourism is not killing tigers. Tigers are being killed by the loss of habitat, poachers, wildlife crime syndicates, and the perpetuation of the myth of the efficacy of tiger medicines thousands of miles away.

Source: The Fund For The Tiger Newsletter, Summer 2009